Name: _______________
Chemistry 100, Section B
Problem Set 3 -- worth 50 points
Due November 30, 2005
Pick an element off of the periodic table whose symbol can be derived from your
last name. For example, the elements I could derive from Wiese are W, I,
S, Si, and Se (OK so I lied and skippped some- you get the idea).
Find information about that element from any source (cite your sources throughout
the paper -- "internet" is not a sufficient citation, I want to know the full
URL. It has also become customary to include in references the date on which the
web page was accessed.).
Write a paper about that element. Subjects that must be covered are:
- Where it comes from and how is it purified?
- What is it used for?
- Is it used in the elemental state or as a compound?
- What are its physical and chemical properties?
- At least one compound the element forms must be included in the paper, and
the Lewis dot structure of the compound included.
- At least one balanced reaction involving the element.
Other topics in the paper are OK as long as it is relevant to chemistry.
I don't want you to get into the quagmire of the politics of whether Iran should
have U-235 and such nonsense.
The paper:
- Can be no more than 3 pages double space or ~2 pages single space typed.
There is no minimum length; however, I don't think you can write a good paper
in much less than this length either.
- Use only a 12 point font, with reasonable margins (usually 1" by default
in word processors)
- Must be well written in order to earn a grade satisfactory to you. Remember
the writing center is available for your help.
- You will find it less frustrating to do things like add lone pairs of electrons
by hand than try and type them.
An example segment of a paper is:
Magnesium is present in sea water and in the earth's
crust (1). Although usually found as a compound, the melting
point
of pure magnesium is 651oC (2).
The sources can then be listed at the end of the paper:
1. Conceptual Chemistry , 3rd edition, pages xx-yy.
2. Merck Index, 11th edition, page 5540.
Sources that have been of use to students in the past, in addition
to
the two listed above, are:
3. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
4. Grollier multimedia encyclopedia and similar products
5. http://www.webelements.com/ , accessed 11 November 2005.